The State of Sao Paulo
Government Details
- Government Name
- The State of Sao Paulo
- Population
- 41.2 million
- GDP
- R$550 billion
- Sector
- State
Overview
São Paulo is an industrial and economic powerhouse of Brazil. The city is the largest in the southern hemisphere with over 40 million inhabitants, and despite its small size the state accounts for 33.9% of Brazilian GDP.
São Paulo also has the third highest Human Development Index, the second lowest infant mortality rate and the fourth lowest rate of illiteracy among the states of Brazil.
The State contains about 40% of Brazilian heavy industry. In order to ensure and improve environmental quality, in 1968 the State Government created CETESB, the São Paulo State Environmental Company, which has served on permitting pollution sources, monitoring the environment and transferring technology.
In 1996, CETESB made its first contacts with cleaner production and since then has developed several initiatives to foster clean technology investment in the State.
The State’s Environmental Policy on Climate Change focuses on sustainable biofuels, forest protection and recovery, financial support to green cities and clean public transport.
In 2009 the state passed the Climate Change Law, setting a target 30% reduction on carbon equivalent emissions by 2012. Further commitments were also made to stimulating the use of cleaner transportation by its citizens and to restructuring the Selective Collection of Waste until 2012, among other measures.
The State has acknowledged that there is a need for the creation of benefits towards using complementary technologies to the hydroelectric power plants. Solar energy is known to be a technically feasible solution to reduce the electric energy consumption in the Brazilian housing sector, creating positive effects in job and income generation as well as new business opportunities and market transformations.
Since 2005, São Paulo has already reduced its emissions levels by 20%, due to initiatives like the implementation of biogas power plants in Sao Joao, Bandeirantes landfills and other environmental programs.
Current activities
Energy efficiency
A planned investment in 300,000 square meters of domestic solar panels would create energy savings of 122 MW. The investment savings in the electric sector would amount up to R$ 365 million, while the sector would create 11,200 new jobs.
Renewable energy
São Paulo already produces a substantial amount of its electricity from renewable sources. In 2007, the majority came from sugarcane (74%) and hydropower (19%). However, petroleum products account for 37% of total energy consumption including transport.
The State aims to achieve a per person carbon emissions cap of 3 tons annually, with renewables including biomass and hydropower accounting for 56% of all energy consumption. The State also aims to supply 20% of global ethanol demand with at least 14% of its territory covered by rainforests.
Clean transport
The State has drawn up an Integrated Plan of Urban Transport (PITU2). In this context, the SP Expansion Plan3 was created to improve efficiency and quality service of public transport in the metropolitan areas of São Paulo, Campinas and Santos.
More bicycle parking interconnected with the Metro and CPTM will reduce travel times. The state Secretariat for Transport targets the withdrawal of 70 billion kilometer-tons of cargo from roads to be transported by ship, saving 850 million liters of fuel per year.
Sustainable land use
The Environmental Recovery Program of Waterways and Valley Bottoms was created, the main intervention of which was the concept of the Linear Park. The objective of this was the continual expansion and integration of green areas throughout the city, and to connect areas that are currently isolated from one another. This scheme will reduce flooding while creating urban ecological corridors that protect and restore biodiversity.
The State is proposing a change to the Urban Master Plan calling for an environmental services charge, and also calling for the compulsory use of unoccupied residential buildings in the city center to reduce traffic congestion.
Waste management
In order to expand access to clean water, the Treated Sewage Project of the Environmental Agency of the State of São Paulo (CETESB) protects the water resources from domestic sewage charges. Two other projects - Minimum Waste and Green Municipality - greatly contribute to the sanitation improvements and solid waste management in the state of São Paulo.
International collaboration
São Paulo is the Co-Chair (South) of the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (NRG4SD) proposing recognition by the UNFCCC of the role of Regions.
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